Scotland’s John Swinney to travel to US to press for Scotch whisky tariff relief

Scottish First Minister John Swinney will travel to the United States for talks aimed at securing better trade terms for Scotch whisky, the Scottish government said.

The visit comes after the US administration imposed a 10% tariff on whisky and most other UK goods entering the United States. The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) has urged for an exemption or relaxation of the measure, saying the US is a crucial market for Scotch distillers.

The SWA estimates that about a fifth of all Scotch is exported to the United States and that the market was worth £971 million in 2024. The industry body said the tariffs are costing producers roughly £4 million a week. The SWA is working with its US counterpart to press for a change to the rules; both the Scottish and UK governments are understood to support that call.

Swinney’s trip is his second to the US this year. He visited New York in April during Tartan Week and raised the tariff issue directly with US President Donald Trump when they met in Aberdeenshire earlier this year. Swinney said he believed the US administration remained open to further discussion, even though the president appeared to play down the extent of their conversation while returning to the US aboard Air Force One.

The Scottish government has arranged a series of meetings for Swinney in and around Washington, D.C., with the UK embassy in the city and UK ambassador Lord Mandelson providing support for the visit. It is not clear whether the first minister will secure another meeting with the president while in the US, and officials do not expect a formal deal to be reached during the two-day trip.

The timing of the mission is notable: President Trump is scheduled to make a state visit to the UK from Sept. 17 to 19, following a four-day trip to his Scottish golf resorts in July. Trump’s mother was born on the Isle of Lewis, a detail cited by Scottish officials during previous discussions about the whisky tariffs.

Trade experts note the 10% levy applies to most UK goods entering the US, and that tariffs are ultimately borne by US consumers. By contrast, EU countries have faced a higher 15% rate under the same measures, complicating broader UK and European export dynamics in the American market.

Scotch producers and government officials say the United States is a strategically important market for the industry’s premium exports. Industry representatives and ministers will use the Washington meetings to outline the economic importance of Scotch whisky to Scotland’s economy and to press for a targeted resolution ahead of the forthcoming state visit.

While the Scottish government and the SWA emphasise engagement and negotiation, any alteration to US tariff policy would require decisions within the US administration and could involve consultations with US trade partners and domestic stakeholders. Swinney’s visit reflects a diplomatic and commercial effort to protect a sector that officials say is being hit by what they describe as significant and avoidable costs.